Tag: Riding

This Blogger’s Nemesis

When I started this blog I made a commitment to myself to blog at least once a week and preferably once a day. Well, the once-a-day thing fell to the wayside rather quickly for obvious reasons—who has time to blog daily? If you blog daily I will assume you do not have a day job that also interferes with the daily duties that come with other self-imposed projects. My self-imposed projects include my involvement with the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, work I bring home, reading and TV—as well as the ever-present “honey-do” list. I love watching TV. I used to tell myself I was not a TV addict, but I think I am. I love old movies and I thoroughly enjoy watching a good action movie and the suspenseful intrigue of a “who-done-it” crime show. To prove a point—if I were to take a week off from work and do nothing but watch every episode of every season of “24” I would not consider the time wasted.

I also have a 1946 Dodge pickup truck that I am restoring—but haven’t started that project yet so really can’t add that to the list of distracters; yet.

Most of the things I want to write about are the thoughts that roll through my head—especially those thoughts that fill my mind while I ride. But I can’t do that. I can’t do that because most of the more prevalent thoughts are outlined in my book “Solitary—Without the Confinement” and I do not want to put them here. At least not yet. I want to wait until the book is published then expound on those thoughts once the book has been in the public for a while. Who would want to buy the book if they can read it here for free?

I know I will never sell enough books to get rich (and that was never the intent) but I would like to sell enough to make my money back. As a side note, I plan to write a blog about my publishing experience as some of it was good and some of it was bad—and it was all expensive. If I “break even” on sales I will consider the project a stellar success. Actually, breaking even has never been my objective either, since I am not confident enough in my abilities to warrant a sale of over 4,000 copies—Stephen King I’m not. In fact, based on an educated guess, I will need to sell 10,000 copies to break even.

Please consider this particular narrative as a two-pronged plea. One—is to ask those select few who follow my blog to continue to do so because it will get better. Two—this is a plea to buy my book. I think you will be pleased with it and will not consider the money spent as wasted.

“Solitary” has completed the editing phase and is currently in the design phase. I anticipate the book hitting the streets before the 1^st of February, but I’m guessing since this is my first published book I am really unsure of the time-line. If you like adventure, if you like facing insurmountable odds, if you take pleasure in facing an obstacle where failure is a distinct possibility, then you will love “Solitary—Without the Confinement.”

Ain’t but two things to do while riding. Think and look for State Troopers.

I would like to ask a favor. If you read my blog and find the narratives worthwhile please tell your friends and share on Facebook. I figure the more exposure this blog gets the better my odds are of selling books.

Can I count on you?

2014-12-22
Push Your Boundaries

When was the last time you pushed your boundaries? What can we claim as a victory if there was no risk to the endeavor? Many are content to spend their days in a routine; get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch TV, go to sleep… day after day after day, week after week, year after year. I think many of us do not even realize we are in a rut.

Try something daring and see what happens. Yea, you might fail and that’s OK. Fail with a smile on your face knowing you got out of the rut for just a little while. You might be amazed at just how fulfilling that failure can be.

I recommend you start small; maybe try a new way to make brownies (box mix not allowed) or take a different way to work. Turn the TV off for just one night and read a book. The right book will stir your soul and create in you a desire to step out of your comfort zone. Great accomplishments come with great risk.

I refuse to live in a rut… even something as simple as taking a different way home from work will brighten your day because you will see things that will be missed if you stay in the rut.

2014-11-24
The Inevitable Crash

As we ride we know calamity is just a matter of time. Murphy’s Law says, “If you ride you will crash.” It is not a matter of if, but a matter of when and how bad. We can take available Motorcycle Safety Foundation courses and we can ride with the right attitude. We can also keep watch for obstacles and hazards and evade as needed, but all that will, at some point, fail us when we meet that distracted driver or the deer that wants to cross the highway.

So, how can we ensure we will never crash? Well… you can’t. But you can prepare for that inevitable day and act accordingly. There is an organization out there called “Road Guardians” and their intent is to prepare riders for that day. Ask yourself, “What will you do if your lifelong friend has an accident?” How will you react? What do you have on hand that could be used to render aid to your friend? Do you know how to render aid?

There is a term used by medical practitioners, “The Golden Hour.” The Golden Hour is the amount of time that it should take to get from the accident to the hospital. Short of a catastrophic event, what happens within the first few minutes can mean the difference between life and death. Ask yourself one more question. How would you feel if your loved one crashed and you stood there and watched them die… not able to prevent it but knowing someone with the proper training and proper equipment could have saved them? The answer is obvious.

There are a few options available to you. One is to plan your rides to always stay within a block of an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) station or Hospital. Another is never ride unless there is a fully equipped EMT riding with you. Yet another is to spend thousands of dollars on training and equipment to be an EMT yourself; shouldn’t take more than a year or two depending on your schedule.

But there is another option. This option is well within the grasp of every rider. Contact Road Guardians (www.roadguardians.org) and schedule yourself for Accident Scene Management (or you could say “A Crash Course for the Motorcyclist”). The Basic and Advance courses can be completed in a weekend. This will not make you an EMT, but it WILL prepare you and equip you with the resources needed to render aid for the most prevalent of injuries received in a motorcycle accident. Don’t get me wrong, this is not an advertisement for Road Guardians, but it is a call to action aimed at you to prepare yourself for that day. I’m not going to claim this as solid truth but am confident most deaths from motorcycle related accidents come from a lack of quickly administered aid. More often than not if an injured rider gets into the hands of an EMT they will survive. The key is to treat serious injury until the EMTs arrive. An inability to breathe and excessive bleeding will claim a life in a matter of minutes.

We travel the roads less traveled which means we are often 30 minutes (or more) from an EMT station. If you can control the breathing and bleeding of the victim there is a significant chance the rider will survive until the EMTs arrive. If you make no attempt then there is no chance. Some accidents are catastrophic and there is nothing anyone can do; death is instantaneous. Many accidents result in an injury that, if treated quickly using simple techniques, do not result in death, but if the injury is not treated quickly then death ensues.

Every responsible rider should know 1^st Aid and carry a basic aid bag and also know how to manage a motorcycle accident scene. How would you feel if you could have saved your friend, but did not because you did not take the time to learn some very simple techniques?

The next move is yours; don’t wait. Rather than sit in your house during the winter and dream of riding you can take the time to properly prepare for riding; prepare for that day when your friend will need you the most.

2014-11-21
The Cost of Commitment

We all associate ourselves with something. Call it a need to belong, a need for recognition, a self assurance, or just because we like the people in that particular arena. Some wear some type of indicator on their clothing or tattoo their body, or adorn their automobiles with emblems, symbols or decals portraying these associations. You see it at every turn; T-Shirts for Vietnam Vets, jackets for Ford Motor Company enthusiasts, baseball and football teams, a specific sports figure, your employer’s company logo or the local volunteer fire department. Many of us in the iron horse community wear a Shield and/or Banner that displays our association. The number of motorcycle clubs, associations, chapters, and groups grow daily. Some are local and never stray far from home whereas others are national and have multiple Chapters.

For the purpose of this narrative we will use the term “club” when a reference is needed. Granted there is a difference between a Motorcycle Club (MC), a Motorcycle Association (MA) and/or Riding Club (RC) but that difference is not pertinent to this discussion. So, when I say “club” I am referring to all three; take no offense.

The focus or objective and the level of dedication within these clubs and individuals within these clubs can be found on both ends of the spectrum. From the “outlaw” biker attitude (aka 1%er) to the individual whose focus is based solely on charitable and selfless accomplishments. (Now, short disclaimer here, do not read into this that 1%ers have no use for charitable efforts. I think 1%ers, or any riding club, have been labeled as undesirables when, in many cases, nothing could be farther from the truth.) Within these clubs you will find riders whose entire existence focuses around the club whereas others are hit and miss; sometimes there, sometimes not. Some join, are on fire for the club, then fade away and are never heard from again; flash in the pan scenario.

For the purpose of simplicity and to narrow the focus of my audience I am going to drill down and talk about riders who wear a Shield and Banner. I do not want to insult anyone’s intelligence here, but a Shield, when used in this context, is the large patch worn on the back of a jacket or vest. The Banner is the scroll below or above the Shield that identifies a specific Chapter or Region within the Club. The Banner and Shield go by many names; Cut, Vest, Chit, Patch or Colors to name a few. For the sake of simplicity we will refer to them as a “Cut.” Some believe the Cut was first displayed by an Outlaw Biker gang. I don’t know who the first one was and to be honest that fact has nothing to do with this topic.

What I want to talk about is the level of dedication and the level of commitment one has to the Cut, whether that Cut be the Hells’ Angels, Harley Owners Group, or a Christian rider’s club or group. In a very real sense the dedication is not really to the Cut, it is to the cause or idea the Cut represents; much like the Flag of the United States. The Flag is not the cause or the force that drives the cause; it represents the force, the people and the attitude that perpetuate the cause. The Cut worn by a rider is the same. The rider wears the Cut so all who see it will know what the rider stands for.

Regardless of your Cut you proclaim allegiance to that organization; why else would you display the Cut if you were not dedicated to the cause. The question is, “What is your level of dedication?”

Let’s take a side road here real quick so you can gain a little insight into where I’m coming from. Years ago an English Teacher told me, “…with everything you write you should strive to leave your personal opinion out of it…” I thought that was a dumb statement and had no qualms about telling him that. My out-spoken nature may have had something to do with the less than desired grade received, but that is a different story. Everything we do, everything we say, our every response is governed by our opinion, our past choices, lessons learned and life experiences. When writing your thoughts down on paper how can you keep your opinion out of it? In my way of thinking, or, if you will allow me the pun, in my opinion, it can’t be done. So, what follows is my opinion, take it for what it’s worth.

In 1972, when I reported to Fort Leonardwood for US Army Basic Combat Training, over half of the “company” was draftees. Their level of dedication is not hard to imagine. They were thrust into a military environment and had no say-so in the matter. Most did their time and got out as quickly as they could while staying under the radar as best they could. To say their level of commitment was less than desired is an understatement. This should not be the case with your affiliation with your club or association; nobody made you join. One can only assume it was your opinion that joining this organization was a good thing to do, something you wanted to be a part of. Now what?

Depending on your organization and the correlating philosophy of that organization the level of accomplishment enjoyed by that club is entirely up to you. Everything you do and say, both good and bad, reflects on you and the association you advertise by wearing your Cut. Some clubs require an annual payment of “dues” that help facilitate the operational needs of the club, but the actual cost is greater. I’m talking about the cost of commitment.

The club or event you willingly associate yourself with is dependent on the commitment you made when you joined. If you joined your club and verbally committed yourself to that club, but do not really commit yourself to the cause then you are disrespecting your club and yourself; you are wasting your time and theirs.

Dedication and commitment are the prices you will pay to be associated with this group. Are you a valuable part of your club or are you a “poser?”

Perception is reality. If you display your Cut then you need to respect your Cut. If you do not respect it, then how can you expect others to? The stereotype of the rider has improved over the years. Think back to the staged photograph in Hollister back in 1947.

The posed picture was taken after bottles were gathered into a single location around a bike. The man on the bike didn’t even own the bike; he was prompted to sit on it by the photographer. Rumor has it he wasn’t even a rider at all; just a local resident walking down the street admiring all the iron. From this and other events that were blown out of proportion, we got “The 1947 Hollister Motorcycle Riot” that never was. Subsequently Hollywood took this false picture and the false tails from it and produced “The Wild Bunch.” The perception from that single picture and a single movie took us years to overcome.

Do you wear your Cut on your jacket, vest or shirt? If you do, then wear it with pride and wear it knowing people are watching you. They will measure your worth and the worth of your club by what you do; or what you do not do.

If you have taken the time to read between the lines you know this attitude does not limit itself to the iron horse community. If you are not willing to commit yourself to your efforts then why bother?

Whatever you do, do it well; find something worth dying for and live for that.

2014-11-18
Words Speak Louder Than Action

Wait, that’s not right. I can say anything, but if my actions do not bear witness to my words then my words mean nothing. Sadly, sometimes our words paint us into a corner and we fail. Our words out-maneuver our intent. Other times we accept the words of others as truth without first verifying their intent and we fall prey to foolishness.

Let’s talk about a few words and see how they play out:

Integrity – Does not mean you never make a mistake. But what it does mean is if you make a mistake you claim responsibility for that mistake and act proportionality to correct it.

Endurance – Many claim to possess it, very few actually do and even fewer still put it to the test.

Honor – Has nothing to do with words. But has everything to do with actions.

Wisdom – Has nothing to do with how many big words you know. But has everything to do with how you act in a difficult situation that words have created.

Compassion – Has very little to do with how you think, but that’s where it starts. Compassion with no action is pity.

Strength – Has nothing to do with holding 100 pounds over your head for long periods. But what it does mean is an ability and desire to help a friend hold that 100 pounds.

Kindness – Has everything to do with a kind and charitable act… so long as you don’t expect anything in return.

Purity – None can claim it, but many do.

Courage – Is not being fearless, but acting even though you are scared to death.

Leadership – The ability to win the trust of people around you to such an extent that they want to follow you. Forced leadership is not leadership; it’s tyranny.

Verbally claiming these traits is contrary to the trait being claimed. These traits are assigned to us by those who know us best.

2014-11-16
That Whisper of a Smoldering Thought

I suspect this happens to us all. During the night, in the fringe between sleep and awake where you are only slightly conscious, a thought will come to you. It may be something about work, a product or process solution that has been in the works for weeks; an answer that has eluded you to the point of total frustration. Or it might be just a random thought that you felt was overly profound and you decided to remember that thought and write it down first thing in the morning. Well, morning comes and for the life of your best friend you cannot remember what it was. A whisper of smoke from the smoldering ashes of your thought is all that lingers.

Try as hard as you might you cannot formulate that thought into words. This happens to me all the time.

I was told by a friend to keep a pad and paper beside the bed and when a thought comes to mind make the conscious effort to grab your pen and paper and write it down. Sound advice and I did that once and it works, except the next morning I couldn’t read what I wrote.

I guess I am stuck with what comes to mind while I am fully conscious. Unfortunately so are you if you expend the time to read what I write. Some who read my lame excuse for literature tell me I should write more; so I will. Perhaps, after a while, they will see the errors associated with that recommendation.

As I come up with thoughts I often write them down if I am able. Often a thought will come to mind while riding that endless road and by the time I stop for gas the thought is gone leaving only a faint footprint of its existence. Thoughts range from the mundane to the profound; at least I think them profound. There is neither rhyme nor reason to my patterns of thought while riding, but I do not think I am the only one can claim that trait.

Maybe someday a profound thought will come to me while I’m putting gas in the bike.

2014-11-15
What Riding Can Do For You – Proof Provided

The riding community is a combination of every walk of life, every gender (there are two if you are unsure), every race, nationality and creed. We all ride for different and multiple reasons. The one reason that spans all walks of life is, “for the fun of it.”

I’m not an overly intelligent person so I’m not able to adequately describe, or put into eloquent words, why it’s fun; it just is.

There are others reasons as well; economics, availability of parking spaces at work and possibly because you can afford a bike, but not a car. Regardless, we ride.

Over the past 30 years I’ve conducted a number of study groups using thousands of paid subjects and numerous computer programs and post-graduate students to calculate the results and… wait, that’s a lie. I’ve not done any of that. I did read a book on it once, but since there were very few pictures in the book I never finished it.

But here is a truth. Riding is good for the overall well-being of the rider (unless acted on by a texting cager). Here is the proof…

This is a picture of people who do not ride…

Here is a picture of people who do ride…

As you can see the riders appear much happier than the non-riders. I take this as proof that everyone should ride; the world would be a better place if we did.

2014-11-13
Solitary – Without the Confinement

What is this all about? Everyone knows what “solitary confinement” is.

But what is solitary without the confinement?

I guess you can put any definition you like to that, but here is how I explain it when asked. Solitary without the confinement is a condition in which we place ourselves with intent. There are those who enjoy solitude and seek ways to facilitate that condition. There are some who dislike being alone and work diligently to always be in close proximity to others; I am not one of those. I’m not saying one is better than the other, just stating a fact.

Any avid rider knows when we ride we are alone; even if riding in a group. While riding our iron horse we are secluded from the world. Our ride takes us away from the troubles of life. No so far that we evade our troubles but far enough away that we can think though them clearly. If you do not like being alone then I suspect long distance riding is not your forte. To enjoy the solitude of riding you must first and foremost be comfortable with yourself. But, on the other side of the coin, if you are not comfortable with yourself I would submit a series of long rides would open the door to understanding who you are and hopefully, with that knowledge, change in such a way where you are comfortable with yourself. If you are not content with yourself you will never be content with another person. You will always yearn for something just outside of your reach.

The book “Solitary – Without the Confinement” is a narrative of what permeated my thoughts while out there alone, riding that 8000 mile endurance challenge. I will not say it will be a number 1 best seller, but, considering this is the first book I have written, I can attest to the fact it is the best book I have ever written. But I digress a bit…

This BLOG touches on riding and what befalls the rider. Perhaps a better way to explain it is, “This BLOG reaches for the real purpose of riding.” Numerous articles, books, notes and BLOGs are out there about riding and each makes an attempt at helping non-riders understand. But words alone cannot explain it. Avid riders already know the purpose so there is no need to explain it. But there’s more…

I will not confine (no pun intended) this BLOG to the book’s intent. A rider, like any person, has outside interests and thoughts not associated with riding. So, considering this is my BLOG, I choose to write on many topics. My hope is you enjoy them all, but understand some you will like and others you will not. Don’t dump me based on a single article you do not like or disagree with. Feel free to comment about your disagreement; I have very thick skin and you will not offend.

2014-11-13
Zen – Part 3

In part three of “Zen and The Art of Group Riding” we will discuss the cager.

A cager is not your friend, not necessarily by design or intentional, but the fact remains. It’s hard enough to outmaneuver a cager when riding single, but riding in a group only means the cagers will find themselves in a target rich environment. While riding single the cager must take calculated aim and cater the approach to ensure a hazardous interaction. In a group all they need to do is change lanes and they are going to hit someone without even trying. We all know what the first words spoken by the survivor of such encounters are, “But Officer, I DIDN’T SEE THEM!!!” Of course they don’t mention the fact they were texting or taking a picture or looking for their favorite CD just about the time they made contact with the rider.

I’m not privy to the statistic showing the percentage of riders hit by cagers verses rider only accidents but I feel safe in saying the cagers are leading the pack in kill ratio. The driving habits of cagers is probably one of the specific reasons authorities will not allow us to carry a gun. Were it my call not only would we have direct fire capability in the group we would have the ability to call for in-direct fire as well as air cover for tactical support. Sadly, even the occasional direct fire intervention seems to bring about unwanted attention. Not sure why. So, suffice it to say we must keep our eyes on them and maintain situational awareness of all cagers in our vicinity. Take your eyes off of them for one second and they will put you in the ditch.

As far as 18-wheelers are concerned, I will sum that up in a very short sentence. While passing an 18-wheeler consider yourself knocked down a few notches on the food chain. An 18-wheeler transporting livestock carries its own set of hazards; hazards which should be avoided at all costs.

2014-11-04
Master Your Ride

Being the master of your ride is all about skill… or is it? Every rider, even the newest rider, knows how to apply the brakes and slow down or come to a complete stop, they can shift gears and twist the throttle one way or another to add speed or facilitate a slight reduction in speed. Now, doing all this with finesse and making it seamless comes with repeated use resulting in a familiarity with these actions and how it affects your bike.

I have been riding off and on since 1972 and I’ve faced a significant number of “tests” and thus far have survived them all. That does not mean I am a super-rider with extraordinary abilities far beyond those of mortal men; it means I’ve been lucky. I will admit some (perhaps many) of those “tests” were put before me for no other reason than a result of my being distracted by some insignificant thing, arrogance, pushing the envelope and/or just plain stupidity.

I consider myself a competent rider meaning I have the skills to ride my bike safely. However, sometimes my mental functions and my level of competency fail to work hand in hand with a common goal in mind; that goal being the safe operation of my ride and remain accident or incident free. Granted, some accidents are truly unavoidable. Tooling down the dark country road toward your favorite hangout, obeying the speed limit restrictions, vigilant eye out for danger and a deer comes out of nowhere and plows into the side of you. You never saw it coming; no amount of skill or mental clarity can avoid this. However, avoidable accidents are just that; avoidable. Meaning, on many occasions whether we crash or not depends on our actions.

Mental function and/or clarity are just as important, maybe even more important than skill. Your attitude while riding is paramount. Many avoidable accidents happen because of something you do, or fail to do, right before impact. We all speed, if you say you don’t then not only do you speed you also lie. Speeding on an open road is one thing, speeding in town amongst traffic is surely another. Doing a “hole-shot” and pulling the front wheel off the ground is cool, but what value will it add to your life if your rear tire blows while the front wheel is 2 feet off the ground or a distracted driver changes lanes? We all know what happens right after we say, “Hey, watch this!”

The coefficient of friction (or traction) is one thing that keeps the shiny side up and our rides in a satisfactorily linear position between the ditches. The other thing is our mental attitude while we ride. If your mental attitude (or lack thereof) outweighs your skill then all the skill in the world is not going to save you. A rider may be so familiar with a particular curve in the road they know exactly how fast they can go, how far they can lean and tell by the tone of the scrapping peg where the limit is. Would that same rider take an unfamiliar ride on an unfamiliar curve and apply the same set of variables? I would submit a prudent rider would not, but therein resides the discussion. At what point do we no longer act prudently, when do we willingly set aside a deliberate mental attitude toward riding and exceed our limitations?

Mastery of our riding skills is important, but it is not enough. It is the mastery of your mental attitude while riding that will prolong your life so you can enhance your skills or the lack of that mastery will place you in a situation where no amount of skill will get you out of what you just got yourself into.

2014-10-30